1939 New York Yankees season
Encyclopedia
The New York Yankees
season was the team's 37th season in New York, and its 39th overall. The team finished with a record of 106-45, winning their 11th pennant, finishing 17 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox
. New York was managed by Joe McCarthy. The Yankees played their home games at Yankee Stadium. In the World Series
, they beat the Cincinnati Reds
in 4 games. This marked the first time any team had won four consecutive World Series.
and 1998 Yankees
being the others) to ever finish the regular season with over a .700 winning percentage, lead the league in runs scored and runs allowed, and go on to sweep the World Series.
On June 21, the New York Yankees announced first baseman
Lou Gehrig
's retirement and proclaimed July 4, 1939, "Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day" at Yankee Stadium. Between games of the Independence Day doubleheader against the Washington Senators, the poignant ceremonies were held on the diamond. In its coverage the following day, The New York Times
said it was "Perhaps as colorful and dramatic a pageant as ever was enacted on a baseball field [as] 61,808 fans thundered a hail and farewell". Dignitaries extolled the dying slugger and the members of the 1927 Yankees World Championship team
, known as "Murderer's Row", attended the ceremonies. New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia called Gehrig "the greatest prototype of good sportsmanship and citizenship" and Postmaster General
James Farley
concluded his speech by predicting, "For generations to come, boys who play baseball will point with pride to your record."
Yankees manager Joe McCarthy, struggling to control his emotions, then spoke of Lou Gehrig, with whom there was a close, almost father and son-like bond. After describing Gehrig as "the finest example of a ballplayer, sportsman, and citizen that baseball has ever known", McCarthy could stand it no longer. Turning tearfully to Gehrig, the manager said, "Lou, what else can I say except that it was a sad day in the life of everybody who knew you when you came into my hotel room that day in Detroit and told me you were quitting as a ballplayer because you felt yourself a hindrance to the team. My God, man, you were never that."
The Yankees retired Gehrig's uniform number "4", making him the first player in history to be afforded that honor. Gehrig was given many gifts, commemorative plaques, and trophies. Some came from VIPs; others came from the stadium's groundskeepers and janitorial staff. Footage of the ceremonies shows Gehrig being handed various gifts, and immediately setting them down on the ground, because he no longer had the arm strength to hold them.
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ranked the 1939 New York Yankees the greatest MLB team of all time.
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
season was the team's 37th season in New York, and its 39th overall. The team finished with a record of 106-45, winning their 11th pennant, finishing 17 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. New York was managed by Joe McCarthy. The Yankees played their home games at Yankee Stadium. In the World Series
1939 World Series
The 1939 World Series featured the three-time defending champion New York Yankees against the Cincinnati Reds, who were making their first Series appearance since the scandal-tainted 1919 World Series. The Yankees swept the Series in four games for the second time in a row, winning their record...
, they beat the Cincinnati Reds
1939 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. The team finished first in the National League, winning the pennant by 4½ games over the St. Louis Cardinals with a record of 97-57...
in 4 games. This marked the first time any team had won four consecutive World Series.
Regular season
The 1939 New York Yankees are one of only three teams (the 19271927 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was their 25th season. The team finished with a record of 110-44, winning their fifth pennant and finishing 19 games ahead of the Philadelphia Athletics. New York was managed by Miller Huggins. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. In the World Series, they swept the...
and 1998 Yankees
1998 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 1998 season was the 96th season for the Yankees. The team finished with a franchise record regular-season standing of 114-48, 22 games ahead of the second-place Boston Red Sox in the American League East...
being the others) to ever finish the regular season with over a .700 winning percentage, lead the league in runs scored and runs allowed, and go on to sweep the World Series.
"The Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth"
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
's retirement and proclaimed July 4, 1939, "Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day" at Yankee Stadium. Between games of the Independence Day doubleheader against the Washington Senators, the poignant ceremonies were held on the diamond. In its coverage the following day, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
said it was "Perhaps as colorful and dramatic a pageant as ever was enacted on a baseball field [as] 61,808 fans thundered a hail and farewell". Dignitaries extolled the dying slugger and the members of the 1927 Yankees World Championship team
1927 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was their 25th season. The team finished with a record of 110-44, winning their fifth pennant and finishing 19 games ahead of the Philadelphia Athletics. New York was managed by Miller Huggins. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. In the World Series, they swept the...
, known as "Murderer's Row", attended the ceremonies. New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia called Gehrig "the greatest prototype of good sportsmanship and citizenship" and Postmaster General
United States Postmaster General
The United States Postmaster General is the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Postal Service. The office, in one form or another, is older than both the United States Constitution and the United States Declaration of Independence...
James Farley
James Farley
James Aloysius Farley was the first Irish Catholic politician in American history to achieve success on a national level, serving as Chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee and as Postmaster General simultaneously under the first two...
concluded his speech by predicting, "For generations to come, boys who play baseball will point with pride to your record."
Yankees manager Joe McCarthy, struggling to control his emotions, then spoke of Lou Gehrig, with whom there was a close, almost father and son-like bond. After describing Gehrig as "the finest example of a ballplayer, sportsman, and citizen that baseball has ever known", McCarthy could stand it no longer. Turning tearfully to Gehrig, the manager said, "Lou, what else can I say except that it was a sad day in the life of everybody who knew you when you came into my hotel room that day in Detroit and told me you were quitting as a ballplayer because you felt yourself a hindrance to the team. My God, man, you were never that."
The Yankees retired Gehrig's uniform number "4", making him the first player in history to be afforded that honor. Gehrig was given many gifts, commemorative plaques, and trophies. Some came from VIPs; others came from the stadium's groundskeepers and janitorial staff. Footage of the ceremonies shows Gehrig being handed various gifts, and immediately setting them down on the ground, because he no longer had the arm strength to hold them.
Notable transactions
- April 8, 1939: Len GabrielsonLen Gabrielson (first baseman)Leonard Hilburne Gabrielson was a first baseman in Major League Baseball who appeared in 5 games for the Philadelphia Phillies during the 1939 season....
was traded by the Yankees to the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
for Pete SivessPete SivessPeter Sivess was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched all or part of three seasons in the majors, from until , for the Philadelphia Phillies.Sivess was raised in South River, New Jersey.-External links:...
and cash.
Roster
| 1939 New York Yankees | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches + |
||||||
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 128 | 480 | 145 | .302 | 24 | 105 | |
| 1B | 144 | 531 | 125 | .235 | 15 | 89 | |
| 2B | 151 | 567 | 161 | .284 | 28 | 111 | |
| 3B | 152 | 648 | 213 | .329 | 14 | 80 | |
| SS | 152 | 656 | 154 | .233 | 10 | 56 | |
| OF | 120 | 462 | 176 | .381 | 30 | 126 | |
| OF | 128 | 418 | 128 | .306 | 21 | 101 | |
| OF | 111 | 398 | 133 | .334 | 11 | 83 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99 | 347 | 96 | .277 | 9 | 57 | |
| 43 | 105 | 29 | .276 | 0 | 12 | |
| 31 | 86 | 21 | .244 | 1 | 9 | |
| 14 | 41 | 10 | .244 | 2 | 9 | |
| 8 | 28 | 4 | .143 | 0 | 1 | |
| 6 | 13 | 2 | .154 | 0 | 1 | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | ---- | 0 | 0 |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | 233.1 | 21 | 7 | 2.93 | 95 | |
| 26 | 198 | 12 | 8 | 3.41 | 102 | |
| 26 | 154 | 12 | 6 | 2.98 | 65 | |
| 24 | 153 | 13 | 3 | 3.71 | 55 | |
| 22 | 146.1 | 12 | 5 | 4.49 | 76 | |
| 21 | 126.2 | 10 | 4 | 3.06 | 50 | |
| 3 | 19.3 | 1 | 2 | 4.66 | 6 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 121.2 | 11 | 1 | 2.76 | 27 | |
| 21 | 116 | 8 | 3 | 2.41 | 55 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | 3 | 6 | 19 | 4.40 | 30 | |
| 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2.84 | 4 | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.00 | 0 |
1939 World Series
AL New York Yankees (4) vs. NL Cincinnati Reds1939 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. The team finished first in the National League, winning the pennant by 4½ games over the St. Louis Cardinals with a record of 97-57...
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| Game | Score | Date | Location | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reds – 1, Yankees – 2 | October 4 | Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York... |
58,541 |
| 2 | Reds – 0, Yankees – 4 | October 5 | Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York... |
59,791 |
| 3 | Yankees – 7, Reds – 3 | October 7 | Crosley Field Crosley Field Crosley Field was a Major League Baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home field of the National League's Cincinnati Reds from 1912 through June 24, 1970, and the original Cincinnati Bengals football team, members of the second and third American Football League... |
32,723 |
| 4 | Yankees – 7, Reds – 4 (10 innings) | October 8 | Crosley Field Crosley Field Crosley Field was a Major League Baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home field of the National League's Cincinnati Reds from 1912 through June 24, 1970, and the original Cincinnati Bengals football team, members of the second and third American Football League... |
32,794 |
Greatest teams of all time rank
The book Baseball Dynasties: The Greatest Teams of All TimeBaseball Dynasties
Baseball Dynasties: The Greatest Teams of All Time is a non-fiction baseball book, co-written by Rob Neyer and Eddie Epstein. It was published in April 2000 by Norton, W. W...
ranked the 1939 New York Yankees the greatest MLB team of all time.